In Verdi's mind, he had the perfect subject, to be based on the novel L'assedio di Firenze ("The Siege of Florence") by Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi which glorified the life of the 16th Century Florentine soldier Francesco Ferruccio.
Domenico Scarlatti | Francesco Rosi | Francesco Clemente | Francesco Bartolozzi | Domenico Modugno | Francesco Guardi | Francesco Guccini | Francesco Marino Mannoia | Francesco Severi | Francesco Cossiga | Francesco Moser | Francesco Mondada | Domenico Ghirlandaio | Giovanni Domenico Cassini | Gian Francesco Malipiero | Giovanni Francesco Fara | Francesco Redi | Francesco Quinn | Francesco Graziani | Francesco De Gregori | Francesco Crispi | Francesco Conconi | Francesco Barberini | Domenico Trezzini | Gian Francesco Poggio Bracciolini | Francesco Sartori | Francesco Ruggieri | Francesco Paolo Bontade | Francesco I da Carrara | Francesco Grimaldi |
At that time, however, his energies were directed less toward the study of art than to reading the historical novels (especially those with medieval themes) of such authors as Ugo Foscolo, Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi and Walter Scott.